UMass Lowell walked the path to Platinum: can your institution do the same?

The University of Massachusetts Lowell recently became the first Massachusetts higher education institution to earn a STARS Platinum rating, a massive accomplishment showcasing what dedication to sustainability can achieve.

Platinum ratings are notoriously difficult to earn, and for good reason. They are the highest tier of AASHE’s widely respected and comprehensive sustainability rating system for higher education institutions. Any school submitting a STARS report must gather an enormous amount of data, but to score high enough to reach the Platinum threshold of 85 points, this data needs to show a high level of achievement in every category of STARS (see figure below). 

So how did UMass Lowell join this elite group of platinum schools? And is it possible for your school to reach for a platinum rating?

Let’s rewind to 2022, when UMass Lowell was submitting their fourth AASHE STARS report. The Office of Sustainability hired GreenerU to provide a third-party review of their report both to gain the point bonus AASHE offers and to ensure the submission process went as smoothly as possible. UMass Lowell scored 83.37 points on this report, just 1.63 points shy of the Platinum threshold. Though UMass Lowell and GreenerU both searched for information or achievements they might be missing to bring up their score, those couple points were out of reach that year.

As a result, GreenerU performed a post-STARS analysis for UMass Lowell after they submitted their report and drafted a “Path to Platinum” for the school. This included a lengthy spreadsheet analyzing every credit, with columns cataloging why UMass Lowell scored the way they did, how they can bring that score up, and how much effort and time it would take to do so. Using this spreadsheet, GreenerU also drafted a report to act as an executive summary, which spelled out the recommended next steps for the school to take in the following three years.

Using the path to get to Platinum

UMass Lowell’s sustainability staff used the Path to Platinum to guide their work between 2022 and 2025, when they were due for another STARS submission. They found the Path to Platinum guide to be an “essential resource,” and particularly valued the targeted recommendations that allowed them to focus their efforts on fine tuning the most impactful areas directly related to advancing their campus sustainability goals.

From GreenerU’s perspective, working with UMass Lowell has been inspiring. Instead of sitting back and being satisfied with Gold, they rolled up their sleeves and said “we can do better.” The campus community as a whole was dedicated to upholding the highest standards of sustainability in their day-to-day work, from top-tier academics and research to campus operations and maintenance, and every contribution made a difference. Initiatives they undertook to bring up their STARS score and advance campus sustainability included:

• • Doubling the size of the Rist Urban Agricultural Greenhouse and Farm in 2023, which increased its production capacity to deliver more than 30,000 pounds of produce annually for local food pantries, mobile markets, and institutions
  • Winning the Kendall Foundation Food Vision Prize that funds the Lowell Eats Local project, which aims to increase local food purchases at UMass Lowell and coordinate citywide food purchases
  • A partnership to advance clean energy and bolster the workforce in the geothermal energy sector with Boston University and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey called the Clean Energy and Environment Legacy Transition (CELT)
  • Celebrating Earth Day with a student-led event called Eco Fest in 2024 and 2025

How you can maximize your AASHE STARS scores, too

One of GreenerU’s main takeaways from our ongoing partnership with UMass Lowell is that having a plan is essential to success. Platinum is so difficult to reach—maximizing every point is critical—and you can’t do that without understanding each and every point in the STARS report.

GreenerU has a deep understanding of STARS v2.2 and v3.0, and can provide in-depth guidance for the most impactful actions to take to increase your STARS score. Whether you’re reaching for STARS Gold or Platinum, working off a set of recommendations that will not only maximize your STARS score but—more importantly—improve sustainability on your campus gives you more bang for your buck, and is the type of guidance a custom “Path to Platinum” or “Path to Gold” can give a school.

UMass Lowell truly reached for the STARS, and we believe you can too! Contact GreenerU for help developing a plan to achieve your next STARS rating goal.

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